Hi there,
Happy summer! It’s been awhile since I had time to put a newsletter together, thanks to a variety of things, including moving. I’m in a new city, but I think in some ways every place feels a little different after the worst of the pandemic.
Watch
If you’re in need of something sweet, cute, and not requiring many brain cells, try:
Penguin Town (Netflix). There’s a lot of penguin content out there, the most famous being March of the Penguins, but this one is mostly fun and actually even funny, thanks to the narration. It’s about 20% sad and another 10% fascinating to learn about odd penguin behavior.
Dogs (Netflix). Pretty self-explanatory: it’s a docuseries about dogs and their humans. If you missed the first season, now’s a good time to catch up, since the second season just came out. This is something to watch when you’d like a good, healthy cry.
Read
Augustown is one of my favorite books I read during the pandemic that I’ve been saving for the right time to share. It’s set in Jamaica and is part historical fiction, part magical realism, and part family epic. It touches on a wide variety of issues, including religion, social class, sexuality, and violence. It’s absolutely beautifully written, transports you to another time and place, and gave me that rare warm fuzzy glow you only get after reading a truly wonderful book.
See all recommendations here.
Follow
There’s a dog family living in New Zealand including several Finnish Spitzes, and one of them does this weird and very entertaining thing when posing for the camera. (Also, Finnish Spitz puppies are very cute).
Do
Once I was vaccinated, my impulse was to go to familiar places I’d missed. But I think it’s also a good idea to visit somewhere in your town or city you’ve never been before, whether it’s a restaurant, museum, park, or even a street you haven’t walked down before. It feels especially rewarding after being cooped up for so long.
Until next time,
Rachel